In 2009, a new virulent form of influenza swept the world, reaching Japan in the spring, and prompting the rapid formulation of emergency measures by the government. At Tokai Municipal Hospital, a means of coping with the anticipated pandemic was set up by creating the super-flu Outpatients Clinic. The Toughbook H1 Health Mobile Clinical Assistant was introduced in the main hospital as part of integrated measures to fight a possible super-flu pandemic and prevent any outbreak of influenza from spreading. The H1 was selected, in part, because it was designed to be sanitized.

“Because it can be so easily disinfected, we chose the H1 as the best terminal for use when dealing with super-flu outpatients,” said Mr. Atsuhito Yamada, Radiological Technologist and Health Information Technologist Medical Professions Division, Head of IT Promotion Group Medical Information Section. “The body doesn’t have any projections or recesses; you can wipe it with alcohol.”

Beyond ease of sanitization, the Toughbook H1 offered benefits that made it an ideal fit for Tokai Municipal. The hospital found that the device’s durability, coupled with excellent connectivity and integrated features like a camera and barcode scanner, resulted in increased productivity for its clinical staff.

Click here for the full Tokai Municipal Hospital case study.  Additional information regarding Toughbook computers in healthcare can be found here.

The medical facility found that the Toughbook H1 Health easily integrated with its EMR software system and offered the durability, integrated features, usability and excellent warranty needed to maximize return on investment. As a result of the implementation, Bates County Memorial Hospital has significantly streamlined clinical workflow.

The mobile device’s lightweight and ergonomic design is beneficial for the staff while completing daily clinical tasks such as capturing vital signs, entering patient information, reviewing medical records, administering medication, capturing patient authorizations and discharging patients. To date, Bates has deployed more than 45 Toughbook H1 Health MCAs throughout its facility.

View the full Bates County Memorial Hospital Toughbook H1 Health case study here.

Seagate Momentus self-encrypting drives and Mobile Armor DriveArmor can now be shipped fully integrated with the Toughbook 31 flagship rugged clamshell, the Toughbook 19 rugged convertible tablet and the Toughbook H1 Health, a mobile clinical assistant device developed for healthcare users.

We are very excited about this collaboration with Mobile Armor, and know that our customers will be too.

Panasonic Toughbook H1 Health’s long-lasting battery life and ability to be repeatedly sanitized with hospital-grade disinfectants, meant it was a perfect mobile solution for an on-the-go and highly-infectious environment. Now, clinical pharmacists are able to bring the device with them and access critical information at the bedside– even in contagious areas of the hospital, eliminating paper-based processes and decreasing the risk of errors while preventing the spread of disease.

The full story is available on Panasonic Toughbook Australia’s blog at the following link.

The device’s integrated features – including a barcode scanner and camera – helped nurses streamline workflow by allowing them to document a patient’s condition at the point of care. Another advantage of the Toughbook H1 was its embedded wireless capability. With WiFi access throughout the hospital, nurses were able to complete patient care documentation and other activities without the need to find a fixed workstation.

Ultimately, by deploying the Toughbook H1 Health, Pioneers Memorial Hospital has been able to strengthen its commitment to providing care in a safe and efficient manner.

View the full Pioneers Memorial Hospital Toughbook H1 Health case study at this link.

For the study, two members of the nursing staff were equipped with Toughbook H1 Health MCA devices.  The nurses were able to access the hospital’s information system as well as frequently consulted information.  The Toughbook H1 Health was used in day-to-day care for a group of hospitalized patients and workflow was observed and measured repeatedly over the course of the study.

Prior to the deployment of the Toughbook H1 Health MCAs, observations and measurements were made of the nursing staff conducting the same procedures with a group of patients in the same areas of the hospital. This was done using conventional methods which included taking notes at bedside using pen and paper and later inputting data into the appropriate hospital information system.

After comparing the results, the hospital saw a dramatic improvement in workflow efficiency when using the Toughbook H1 Health.  Perpetration time was eliminated; medication and note taking was cut approximately in half and water (or fluid) balancing time was cut by approximately one third.  In total, the hospital saw a 40 percent reduction in the time its nurses used to conduct their daily work.

The full study is available for download on the Panasonic Computer Products Europe web site at the following link

The topic of tablet computers in healthcare has received an enormous amount of attention since the introduction of Apple’s iPad and tablets using Windows 7. While demand for mobile devices in the healthcare market is growing, there is still no one perfect solution for healthcare users – and there never will be. Radiologists have different needs than surgeons and nurses have different needs than phlebotomists. If your goal is to improve patient safety and workflow, then you’ll need to find devices that work best for each user.

This sudden swell of interest in tablets merits a discussion of issues healthcare organizations should consider when looking for a tablet of any kind. Before deploying a tablet, you must consider a number of factors, including ergonomics, connectivity, durability, security, vendor experience, service and support, functionality and the ability to repeatedly sanitize the device.  These will all impact the success of the deployment.  The worst thing you can do is just look at price!

Ergonomics
Ergonomics is a critical consideration for a tablet.  If a clinician is going to carry a device all day, it needs to be lightweight and easy to hold for long periods of time.  Years of working with healthcare professionals resulted in Panasonic designing a “hand-free” ergonomic strap and dome hand support system that cradles the hand for comfortable long-term use.  You can see this technology in many of our devices.  When considering a tablet, I encourage you to look at the ergonomics of the design and to have clinicians consider this element as part of the testing process.

Connectivity
Tablets are designed to facilitate mobility, but the true benefits of mobility can only be achieved with connectivity.  Most healthcare facilities gain connectivity via Wi-Fi, but home health workers may require mobile broadband.  When looking at a tablet’s connectivity, consider its ability to capture a signal in fringe areas.  Most devices will have a clear signal near a router or cell tower, but how strong is the connection as you move them away from an access point?  Wireless testing is simple and often overlooked.  It’s common to blame the wireless network when you can’t get a signal, but often it’s the device.

Durability
In Panasonic’s experience, healthcare customers are some of the most demanding. This highly mobile and dynamic work environment often leads to dropped devices.  As a result, durability is a chief consideration for tablets. Fragility is not an option when your work is mission critical.

For those considering the new iPad, I’d point to a recent article from PC World.  The title – iPad Stress Tests: Buy a Case and Don’t Drop It – says it all.  At the end of the day, if you can’t rely on a computer to operate after an inevitable drop or spill, then your ability to transform your workflow is significantly reduced.  Be sure to ask about the drop rating (for both the device and hard drive) for the tablets you are considering.

It’s worth noting that the average annual total cost of ownership (TCO) of a ruggedized notebook is 40% lower than the average TCO of a non-rugged device, according to VDC Research. So purchasing a consumer-grade product and trying to make it work in a demanding enterprise environment is probably not the best solution.

Security
Security is crucial in a healthcare environment. Having options such as fingerprint scanners and smartcard readers, paired with bios-level security technology like Computrace, is critical. If mobile devices don’t offer these options, you need to consider if they’ll provide the appropriate level of HIPAA compliance.

Expertise
Since the announcement of the Recovery Act in February of 2009, we have seen a lot of interest in the healthcare market from technology companies.  When considering a tablet, make sure you are working with a vendor that has substantial healthcare market experience. Lack of domain expertise can significantly complicate your launch efforts.  You need a partner that can provide support from the evaluation process well into the deployment, not someone that will simply sell you a device.

Service & Support
Many new tablet products on the market are not replacements for current technology, rather an extra device for an IT department to manage.  Multiple devices running different operating systems can complicate IT management issues.  Also, since many new tablet devices will be widely available through consumer channels, it’s likely physicians will purchase their own, bring them into the hospital and ask for IT support.  We saw this very phenomenon in commercial markets with the iPhone.  This forced IT departments to debate the pros and cons associated with having an “our technology only” rule versus a more open policy.

You should also consider the availability of software written for the device.  In particular, how many full EMR applications are written for the platform?

Functionality
Although I stated earlier that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in the healthcare market, you definitely want to avoid devices that are one-dimensional. The ideal tablet (convertible or slate) allows clinicians to accomplish as much as possible with a single device.  A well designed, lightweight convertible tablet can serve as both a physician’s desktop computer and hand-held tablet for rounds and patient interactions.  Mobile Clinical Assistants (MCAs) have integrated features such as barcode scanners, RFID readers and cameras to improve point-of-care productivity.  Not all tablets can serve multiple roles or even allow for multi-tasking – something the demanding physicians we work with have come to expect as the price of entry.  A well designed tablet will allow your staff to maximize productivity while limiting the number of devices your IT department needs to support.

Sanitization
Since hospital equipment must be frequently sanitized, choosing a tablet that can be repeatedly cleaned is another key factor to evaluate during the purchase process.  If not properly designed, screen viewability could significantly degrade after repeated sanitization.  It’s good to ask what sort of testing has been done in this area, and if the device is IP (ingress protection) rated.

The move towards EMRs and the abundance of mobile computing solutions coming to market make it an exciting time to be in the healthcare IT business.  Pure tablets like the MCA (including our Toughbook H1 Health), along with new generations of convertible tablets running Windows 7, are generating a lot of interest.  Devices like the iPad will push the market forward and keep tablets at the forefront of the healthcare mobility discussion.  But before you make a decision, step back and thoroughly evaluate your options.  The wrong choice can have long-term ramifications for both the quality of patient care and bottom line performance.